*Fiona*
Rachel was at the hostess stand when we entered the restaurant. Her eyes went wide, clearly remembering my foul mood from yesterday when I crushed my phone.
"A-a-alpha Fin" she stuttered "We weren't expecting you."
"Last minute decision to celebrate Anna's birthday,'' I said smiling to reassure her "our usual spot will do if it's availble"
"Of course, right away, will Alpha David be joining us as well." She asked as she signalled someone to prepare our table.
"Not today," I said plastering on a fake smile. "No doubt he'll be spending the day getting to know his mate." Rachel yipped, surprised by the news, but said nothing. I
*Fiona* I turned towards the stranger, as the other left. He wore a dark designer suit with a long suit jacket. His hair was neatly trimmed and his skin was unearthly pale. His black eyes watched me unwavering, most would find it unnerving. I steeled myself for the conversation about to unfold, knowing it would only bring bad news. "I have a phone, you know," I said approaching the man. He chose to ignore my tone, instead of laughing, relieving some of the tension. "Ah, my little wolf" he spoke smiling, "Always bringing mirth to any situation." "You're far too serious," I replied. It was odd that he was being so open. "I didn't think you were a fan of meeting i
*Cyrus*Something was wrong; I could feel it. Why had Fiona stayed back to talk to the stranger? I had only been there for a moment, but Blaze had been deeply unsettled by the stranger, sending goosebumps up my arm. It wasn't their unnerving presence that had unsettled me most. It was the lack of scent. I had tried to pick up the scent to see who it was but got nothing. I didn't even realize that was possible. At least not without some strong magic.I thought about it all the way back to the packhouse, barely registering Liz or Anna's presence. Anna left pretty quickly after we got back. Partly because I ignored her on the way back, partly because Liz hurried her home. Did that mean Liz was concerned as well? We both sat on different couches in the hall for a moment. Liz also seemed uneasy. When the silence became overbearing I spoke.
*Fiona*My mind was racing a mile a minute after talking to Andre. I wasn't sure how credible his claim was, but if it was even slightly true I need to act and quickly. I was pushing the panic from my mind as best as I could. Flashbacks to my time in captivity kept flooding in, making it hard to focus. Not again, was the thought driving towards the packhouse. Never again, was my call to action.Seeing Cyrus, when I got back, was a shock. I was was equal parts thankful that he was there and annoyed that he waited up for me. Being around him seemed to chase some of the anxiety away. I stood near my office desk, still on edge waiting for Ned and Liz to arrive. It was nearly two in the morning at this point, but I felt wired. I had pulled out a map of the pack and was studying it, ignoring Cyrus' questions as he paced the office. Eventually, he gave up and stood
*Fiona*The room was only silent for a second as they processed what I told them. Cyrus was the first to speak, clearing his throat."There are...vampires," he spoke slowly to clarify what I said: "that want to...""Kidnap me." I nodded, repeating what I had just told everyone."Where did you even get this information from?" Dante asked sceptically."Andre," I said, "who is...""A vampire." Cyrus finished my sentence. I could tell this news was deeply unsettling for him as he shifted in his chair. "I'm sorry but how do we even know we can trust him?""We have a...shared history," I responded. I could tell it wasn't enough though, for Cyrus, he didn't look convinced. I added: "He owes me a life debt." The room was silent once again, I could feel what they
*Fiona*The room was in full swing, despite the fact the sun had yet to rise. Dante, Ned and Liz were in and out of the office, making contact with the necessary parties to strengthen pack defences. Cyrus had refused to leave the room, never more than a few arms lengths away from me. It helped keep me calm and my mind focused on the task at hand."We need to postpone opening the borders," he commented as we were strategizing."We can't do that" Liz protested "The entire pack has been looking forward to Fiona's birthday celebration for months. Some of the pack will be leaving to travel here in less than a day.""I'm sure they'll understand," Cyrus pointed out, turning to me to reason with Liz."I agree with Liz," I said despite Cyrus' look of protest "We can't afford to risk any of these alliances and appear weak."
*Fiona*"Can I take a shower alone?" I asked sarcastically once we entered the room "Or do you need to supervise that too?""I'll supervise if it makes you feel safer," he smiled, his eyebrows raising seductively. I just rolled my eyes."I think I can shower on my own, thanks," I said locking the bathroom door behind me. I was still covered in dirt and starting to feel my skin tighten from the dried flakes. I chose a fresh large tee-shirt, as my pyjamas, something I hadn't had to worry about before, as I never had someone sleepover in my room. The shower had been relaxing and I was starting to feel the weight of my eyelids as I made my way back into the bedroom.Cyrus decided to shower too, as I climbed into bed. While my eyes were heavy, I couldn't stop running through all the details of the plan to strengthen security, trying to see it from a new angle.&nbs
*Fiona*Soft light filtered into my room, as I awoke, from a nearby window. I was pleased that I have a dreamless sleep and was loathe to get out of bed. I stretched as I yawned, stiffening as I brushed against the other body in my bed. I sat bolt upright as the events of last night came filtering back into my mind. I didn't regret it; I was more surprised at myself. It was liberating to focus on my pleasure, rather than thinking about the consequences. I blushed thinking about the pleasure Cyrus had brought only hours earlier. Being Cyrus in person was better than when I fantasised about it. I looked at Cyrus and was surprised to see he was already awake, watching me."Good morning," he said smiling, pushing my hair out of my face."How long have you've been awake?" I asked yawning, he couldn't have woken up in just a good mood."20 m
*Fiona*I decided to talk to David first. His glares toward Cyrus and myself didn't go unnoticed. I didn't understand what was wrong, considering he was mated up. The mark on his neck was fresh, telling me that they had marked each other, completing the mate bond. It was an outwards sign to the world that they belong to each other. I could feel Cyrus sizing up David after I mentioned his name."Cyrus," I said turning to him "Why don't you catch up with your pack members? I will introduce myself after I talk to David." He didn't look happy about the proposal, but my look shut down any protest. Cyrus shot a final look at David before crossing the room. I turned towards David, who was talking to Liz if you could call a conversation. He was half listening and half gl